Pull My Pigtail
"Pull My Pigtail" is the first half of the first episode of the first season of Wayside. Sypnosis During Valentine's Day at Wayside School, Dana tries to force Todd and Maurecia to fall in love. Plot This episode opens with the bus driving to Wayside School and dropping off Todd, who begins walking to school. On the way, however, he is scared by Dana, who immediately pops out of a bush to celebrate Valentine's Day. Todd stutters, worrying that her celebration of Valentine's Day will be like the other "special days" she's celebrated, as it cuts to a montage of her celebrating Flag Day, Arbor Day, and April Fools' Day, all of which end in Todd's harm. However, Dana is insistent about Todd celebrating Valentine's Day, but Todd suggests she just bring out hearts and chocolate to make it simple and painless. However, Dana remarks that love is too complicated for that, saying it isn't as easy as waving flags, planting trees, and laughing at someone being zapped by a joy buzzer and falling on a whoopee cushion. Todd remarks that if hearts and chocolate aren't dramatic enough, she could try having someone dress up as Cupid and shoot arrows, but Dana remarks she's already done that, as the camera briefly cuts to Myron, who attempts to shoot an arrow, but fails. Dana worries that she can't do enough for Valentine's Day, and Todd remarks that she's right, because you can't force people to fall in love. Dana takes Todd's idea the wrong way, and decides she'll do everything it takes to force two people to fall in love. She gets out her power tools, and looks around the playground to find people she'll make fall in love. Eventually she stops on Todd and has Myron fire an arrow at him, which is picked up by Maurecia. After Maurecia punches Todd back into the trash can he hides in to avoid love, Dana remarks she has the perfect couple. In Mrs. Jewls's class, Todd's desk starts being pushed by Dana closer to Maurecia's. Dana remarks she isn't moving Todd's desk, rather being pushed by the power of love, but Todd can clearly see Dana next to him. Eventually, Todd is placed next to Maurecia. Todd freaks out, worrying Maurecia will hit him again. Maurecia questions when she had ever hit Todd, and it plays a brief montage of her punching Todd in the arm. She proceeds to punch Todd again. Dana asks if Todd has fallen in love yet, and Todd remarks he isn't even close, but Dana assures he will be once the two get closer. Dana proceeds to saw their desks together. Maurecia attempts kissing Todd, but as Todd backs away, he snaps his back against the wall. However, Dana assures that's just his heart breaking for Maurecia. Meanwhile, Myron, still dangling from a crane dressed as Cupid, trying to call Dana to take him down. Mr. Kidswatter emerges from the ground, asking who's shouting, when he sees Myron and assumes he's his guardian angel. Realizing what he has, Kidswatter decides he can do anything he wants, and Myron will protect him. He decides to jump off a tree, hoping Myron will catch him, but he only ends up falling onto a birdbath, which he believes to be Myron. Back in Mrs. Jewls's class, Todd is being bothered by Maurecia's ponytail getting in his face, when Mrs. Jewls announces they'll be studying a foreign language. She asks what language they speak in France, to which Stephen says is Portuguese, and Mrs. Jewls says he is doing very good. She teaches the Portuguese words for "window" and "door," and has everyone look back and forth at the window and door, which causes Maurecia's ponytail to keep hitting Todd's face. Todd tries to hold Maurecia's ponytail in place, but accidentally pulls it, causing Maurecia to scream, and causing his name to be written under the DISCIPLINE list. Todd claims it was an accident, and Dana says it was an accident of love. Todd tries to deny that, but Maurecia is wondering if he was denying it being an accident or being an act of love. Todd tries to explain, but Dana simply notes that love is complicated, and that by pulling Maurecia's ponytail, Todd has finally found a way to express his love for her. Todd tries to explain the situation isn't like that, that he was just grabbing Maurecia's hair so it wouldn't hit him in the face. He grabs it again to demonstrate, but when Maurecia turns around, she screams, causing Mrs. Jewls to put a check next to Todd's name. Back outside, Myron is still hanging from a crane in his cupid outfit. He sees a couple of birds and pretends to act like one, which attracts a very large bird which carries him away. The bird and Myron briefly grab Todd's attention back in class, causing him to scratch his head, when suddenly a puppet of Maurecia's ponytail controlled by Dana walks up to him. Dana tries to get Todd to pull the ponytail, but Dana denies that it's her, and continues the ruse. Todd is frustrated, and tries to get the puppet untied, but when Dana reels it back, he ends up pulling Maurecia's hair another time. Maurecia says it hurts a lot that time, but Todd tries to explain the situation. Mrs. Jewls claims it's the worst lie she's ever heard, and circles Todd's name under the DISCIPLINE list, sending him home on the kindergarten bus. Meanwhile, Myron is still in the bird's next, when he hears Mr. Kidswatter's voice from above, claiming that he'll save him. As Todd walks to the kindergarten bus, he is interrupted by Maurecia, who claims to understand everything now and apologizes for her actions. As the two laugh about it together, Kidswatter and Myron fall out of the sky, with Kidswatter carrying Myron as he falls on the Wayside School sign, claiming his guardian angel has done it again. Todd decides he should get going, and Maurecia punches him onto the kindergarten bus. She then rollerskates in the shape of a heart in the grass, causing Dana to say she has another Valentine's Day triumph, and that she can't wait for St. Patrick's Day. As she says the last line, Stephen, who is wearing an elf costume resembling a leprechaun, looks at her for a brief second, and the episode ends. Characters *Todd *Yodana *Myron *Incidental 061 *Incidental 060 *Incidental 059 *Incidental 006 *Incidental 016 *Incidental 012 *John *Stephen *Jenny *Bebe *Maurecia *Shari *Mr. Kidswatter *Mrs. Jewls *Rondi *Eric Ovens *Eric Fry *Eric Bacon *Leslie *Elizabeth *Joe Transcript Read a transcript for "Pull My Pigtail" here. Trivia *This is the first episode of the Wayside cartoon. *Strangely, despite this episode taking place on Valentine's Day, Todd and Dana had already celebrated April Fools', which in a traditional school year would land afterwards. *When Todd asks if the walls are moving again, it's a reference to the plot of Wayside: The Movie. *The plot of this episode references that of "Paul," though it uses Todd and Maurecia rather than Paul and Leslie. **It should be noted that although Paul is absent from the cartoon, Leslie is not. *This episode shows that Todd and Maurecia both have feelings for each other. Gallery See a gallery for "Pull My Pigtail" here. Category:Season 1 episodes Category:Episodes